The Chi: Season 1/ Episode 5 “Today Was A Good Day” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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While the title of the episode maybe, “Today Was a Good Day” that doesn’t necessarily apply to most of the characters on the show.

Network

Showtime

Director(s)

Darren Grant

Writer(s)

Marcus Gardley

Air Date

2/11/2018

Characters Introduced

Hannibal

Chris De’Sean Lee

Tep

Ronald L. Conner

JB

Curtis Toler

Kasim

Bassam Abdelfattah

Demetrius

Gregory Fenner

You Got To Put In That Work To Get Paid: Jake, Emmett, Amir, Reg

Reg takes Jake on a run and learns one of the main things Reg is profiting on is the sale of guns. I’m talking, he goes down to this area where there is nothing but huge shipping containers, pays a guy to turn off the camera for 30 minutes, somehow knows which one has Call of Duty type of weapons, and puts them in boxes featuring kid toys. All the while, Jake is amazed and decides to take a gun about as big as his head, around the size of a 9 caliber, perhaps a little bigger, to take pictures. Which almost gets the boy caught.

But he isn’t the only one doing some sketchy stuff. Remember Amir said he had a possible job for Emmett? Well, it isn’t anything big. Just tax-free cigarettes courtesy of Amir’s imposing character Kasim. Someone who Amir thinks, in terms of Emmett’s shoe-selling enterprise, might be the partner he needs. After all, he has the cash, the space, and the backup if necessary. Emmett just has to get over his prejudice in order for there to be potential business done.

Being that Q isn’t fond of Reg nor Trice’s business, he decides to talk with his brother Sonny and hit up his old friends Tep and JB. Not to necessarily make any immediate moves, but just prepare. For while Q isn’t necessarily planning to come out of retirement, he may not mind setting a few examples.

But peace on the streets isn’t just a gang thing. It’s also a relationship thing. Take Maisha deciding to continue to mess with Kevin. She decides to steal his bike and while you may have thought it was just to push him to come over, it ends up not being that. Maisha, while still flirty and trying to be cute with him, really just needed the bike to get some stuff for her little brother or cousin. So, taking note she needs the bike more than him, he “lends” it to her. Though, in front of his friends, he fronts and says she had dogs protecting it.

Leaving Brandon and Hannibal. Life without Jerrika is hitting Brandon pretty hard. However, what makes things worse is Hannibal planting ideas of maybe messing around with Sarah. You know, the woman who is pretty much the boss’ wife. Luckily, while Hannibal is the main person Brandon talks to in order to get over Jerrika, there is also Sonny. Someone who, rather than pushing for sleeping with other women or pictures of his genitals, just says to beg and apologize.

Ain’t No Party Without Some Drama: Jerrika, Brandon, Q, Reg, Ronnie, Tracy

However, it may be too late for all that. Maybe… If only because Jerrika brings a friend to the 3rd annual Stop the Violence, block party. A guy named Demetrius, whose name is damn near what Hannibal guessed would be her next dude, and this puts Brandon in his feelings. Though, he isn’t the only one in his feelings. Tracy, once more, is sort of hot and cold towards Ronnie and it seems, for now, she is through. Then, on top of that, Brandon and Ronnie have words and Hannibal ends up dancing with Tracy. So, needless to say, Ronnie is not having a good day.

Though, it could have been worse. Reg and Q end up having words as Reg begins disturbing the block party since he doesn’t like the music. But Q handles him. How exactly? Well, we don’t get to hear what he whispers. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he was the one who had a gun go off later on at the party – just to be petty.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

Papa’s real name is Stanley.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

Was Sonny’s shop a means for Quentin to launder his money?

Highlights

Everyone’s Got a Hustle

Whether it is Reg and selling weapons, Sonny selling chicken, Emmett shoes, or Amir and Kasim trying to increase the profits of them selling cigarettes, you have to admire how everyone has their thing.

Prejudice Isn’t Just a white Thing

When it comes to the oppression of Muslims as well as those from Central/West Eurasia 1 it isn’t just white nationalist who say prejudicial things. Other cultures, like Black culture, specifically Emmett, too perpetuate the idea that just because a person is foreign, and into shady stuff, they must be a terrorist. Pushing the idea of why Habib and Amir aren’t the most trusting of the area they do business. While they do make money, at the same time a nice kid like Emmett jumps to this conclusion. Imagine how the rest think and act.

Hannibal

You have to admire the eccentricities of Hannibal. He has locks, is a software architect, barely leaves his house, speaks Japanese, is into yoga, yet still has this certain hood negro belief system. Like his cousin screwing some other woman to show he isn’t all caught up over Jerrika. I don’t know about you, but I’m struggling to think of another like Hannibal. Especially in terms of a character who didn’t just have a one or two episode appearance, but seemingly will be seen throughout the season, if not the show.

Brandon – The Love Sick Puppy

While he isn’t a blubbering mess, similar to Ralph Angel on Queen Sugar, you got to appreciate Brandon going through it, in his own way, when it comes to Jerrika. Him wanting to call her, wondering why she isn’t responding, desperate to figure out a way to get her back. It was all very cute.

Kevin’s Empathy

Maisha isn’t a treat by any means. While she can be friendly, more often than not she keeps up this tough public persona and gets all soft in private. However, even when she is being soft and friendly, 9/10, she is being a bit manipulative. Yet, you gotta admit, it was nice of Kevin to “lend” his bike to her. Even though it will likely mean him never getting it back.

But, considering the life he has compared to hers, what’s a bike? His mom may yell at him but it isn’t like they may not, eventually, get him a new one.

Quentin’s Insurgence

You have to love the old school gangster style of Quentin. There is no raising his voice, flashing a gun, or anything like that. You know he is a BAMF because his presence clearly says that he is not one to mess with. And watching him makes me wish that there was more of a balance between the Reg and Quentin types, in media that is. For there is just something so menacing about Quentin watching, waiting, plotting, and not trying to be all out there, that builds up anticipation. Because you know, sooner or later, Q is going to make some moves and with him being a traditional gangster who is part of the community, in a way which allows him to be amongst the people and still do illegal business, Reg and Trice might not even see it coming.

Or, if they do, it’ll be so swift that their bodies won’t even have enough time for the adrenaline to kick in.

On The Fence

What To Do With Ronnie?

With Tracy being through with Ronnie, Brandon addressing him, and the Jason thing being so far on the back burning it fell into the grass, what is there for Ronnie? Being jealous over Hannibal dancing with his former lady? More scenes with Ethel and her maybe giving us a better idea of how he kind of ended up like a bum? Something has to be done right? He isn’t a guest star or reoccurring role.

New Jersey native Amari Sali takes the approach of more so being a media advisor than a critic to sort of fill in the gap left between casual fans of media and those who review productions for a living. Thus being open about bias while still giving enough insight, often with spoilers, to present whether something is worth seeing, buying, renting, streaming, or checking out at all. An avid writer, Amari hopes to eventually switch from talking about other people's productions to fully working on his own. Such a dream is in progress to becoming reality.

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